Lightning kills two people in two days in Colorado

People in the Rocky Mountain National Park of Colorado were struck by lightning within a two day period, killing two of them in what is the first such death in the park in fourteen years.

About 2,000 people are hit by lightning around the world each year. In the US lightning is the 2nd weather killer after floods.

Jason Foster

Rocky Mountain National Park public information officer Kyle Patterson reported that lightning strikes at the park have killed two people in two days, injuring several more.

Patterson told CNN that both strikes hit people on trails off the world famous Trail Ridge Road, at elevations of 10,829 and 11,400 feet respectively. On Friday, eight were hit and one woman died at the scene. Four were hit on Saturday afternoon, one of whom died at a hospital later.

"We can't emphasize enough that when it starts getting dark and clouds are forming, it's time to get down," he said. "My understanding is this group was actually in the process of doing that and still got caught, which is really a sad thing."